


I Need Someone to Kill Me (Tired of Taking My Own Life)

by Pollarize



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Hanging, M/M, Murder, OCD, Schizophrenia, Serial Killer, Serial Killers, hints of: - Freeform, it's a serial killer au, what do you expect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-05-01 02:21:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5188457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pollarize/pseuds/Pollarize
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a serial killer on the loose and Tyler's just trying to prove a point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of a Criminal Minds episode but I wont tell you which until the end to ensure total surprise.

Tyler stood in the forest, staring up at a tree branch that was thick and hung far enough over for good use. He smiled, turning in a small circle to view the land. Things had to be perfect for this, nothing out of place.

He crouched and adjusted some leaves, picking one up and taking it ten steps away, (ten very careful steps, one foot in front of the other, he only had to redo it two times). He would have ignored the leaf but it didn’t fit. There was too much brown on this leaf instead of the yellow of all the others. It just made the scene look dreary and sad.

Tyler went back to where he was standing before, under the branch. He turned in a small circle again, finding a tree that was far enough away to be a good place to watch without your neck hurting but close enough that the details were all still there. He spotted one a couple of feet out. It was a tree that split in two part way up and although that made Tyler anxious, he couldn’t deny that it was the perfect spot for spectators.

He sighed, knowing deep down that he could only control nature so much, his anxiety didn’t quite understand.

Tyler went back to moving leaves around, finally being somewhat satisfied with how it looked. Almost like it was picture perfect.

Tyler just needed to wait until nightfall, to pass time he sat at his tree that he had picked out and pulled his backpack in close. He pulled rope out, expert fingers tying a noose. After the number he had tied in his lifetime it was just busy work now, perfection in seconds. Tyler smiled, tilting his head to the side, his eyes focusing in and out of the perfect knot. A laugh bubbled up. It was short and humorless, an automatic reaction that he wasn’t sure went to what.

He shrugged and stood up, walking over to the branch and throwing the noose over. It took him a couple of tries to catch the branch and get it set properly. Tyler stepped back a couple of feet and tied the spare rope around a tree.

Tyler took one more circle, examining the scene that he had created. He smiled because everything seemed so perfect.

Before he knows it, the sky is black and the air is cold and it feels just right. the night is perfect and there’s enough moonlight for it to be a show but not too much. Tyler feels giddy, running back up the hill to where he parked his car, almost tripping over branches he missed in the dark.

Josh is sat in the passenger seat, slumped over and leaning against the window, obviously asleep. Tyler gave a soft smile before he wrenched the door open, catching a very startled Josh and helping him sit up again.

“You scared me,” Josh said softly, eyes wide as he stared at Tyler, trying to figure out where he was still.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to, it’s time to go,” Tyler said, anxious to get things started.

“We need to get this done before the trees start whispering. I can feel their breath and I can feel my death, Josh, I don’t want to die, I’m not done,” Tyler said, his voice rising as he got anxious and agitated. Josh held a hand up and shushed him, nodding his head.

“I can’t stop you but, can you carry me? I’m just so tired,” Josh said, his statement punctuated with a yawn. Tyler frowned and started to say no but he looked at Josh’s face and his eyes seemed so empty, the bags under his eyes growing each day. Tyler gave in, needing Josh there for things to be just the way he planned.

Tyler scooped Josh up as best he could, holding him close to Tyler’s chest. He stumbled a bit down the hill, catching himself just enough to keep Josh from falling. He placed Josh at the tree that split in two, helping Josh to get comfortable, to keep it so he could see without a problem.

Tyler smiled and nodded, walking this time up the hill until he got to the car. There was another man in the back, a nameless faceless man that meant nothing besides his temper. He was nothing but another lesson. He was bound and gagged, his face wet with tears. Tyler pulled at the binding until the guy fell from the car and Tyler was able to pick him up, throwing him over his shoulder uncerimoniously.

The guy sobbed, trying to beg, trying to get free but this wasn’t the first lesson and Tyler had improved. The binds were too tight and the knots were too good.

Tyler smiled when he saw Josh, a grin that didn’t match the setting. Josh didn’t smile back.

“You don’t need to do this anymore, Tyler, I got it,” Josh started but he was given a look. The smile was gone and any hint that it had been there at all was erased. What was left on Tyler’s face was a manic look that scared Josh into silence. His eyes seemed so dark, so empty, so angry. Josh hated when he was like this, it was his worst fear and so he complied with whatever Tyler did. He didn’t want to spark any other anger. He didn’t want this directed at him.

Tyler walked over to the stool he had placed earlier, right below the noose, and placed the mans feet over it. The man was still limp, not willing or not able to stand on his own.

“Fucking stand,” Tyler screamed, anger bubbling up so quick that the man choked over a sob and worked to get his shaky legs to stand. It took a minute but Tyler had him standing and the noose over his head, the bindings in the perfect spot.

Tyler stepped back and looked at everything, the man standing over the stool, Josh sitting against the tree, his fearful eyes watching Tyler’s every move.

Tyler walked to where the rope was tied into a tree and gave a small tug, the anger being replaced by happiness for just a second as he watched the man dance. He looked up at the sky and then the trees. He saw mouths begin to form, knowing the trees would whisper his name and give him away.

_“We can end this now, Tyler,”_ The trees would whisper and the voice was too familiar, too close to home but Tyler didn’t know why. He just knew that they would tell on him, take away his lessons.

He walked back over to the man, standing there quietly for a minute, staring at the chair then looking to Josh.

“See, Josh? You don’t need to be a victim, you can fight back against the bullies,” it started quiet, calm, but the anger returned and Tyler ended up yelling, satisfaction blooming in his stomach when Josh nodded, the terror in him compelling him to agree.

That’s when it happened.

Tyler lifted his leg and kicked out as hard as he could.

His foot connected with the stool and it toppled over, a loud choke coming from above as the rope pressed into the mans words. He was shaking, fighting, trying to get air into his lungs even when his hands remained bound.

There were so many sounds.

The trees began to rustle, screaming for help in the way that the man wished he could. The man was choking, gurgling, thrashing. Josh was crying, begging for this to end, for Tyler to give it up. Tyler was screaming, never pausing for breath until his lungs ached.

“You aren’t a victim, fight back, just fucking fight back!”

The man was dead and Tyler was crying.

He wiped at his eyes until the tears were gone.

Tyler brought the stool back to his car, tossing it in the back before he walked down the hill and helped Josh up the hill to the passenger seat.

The ride to a new motel was silent. At some point Josh slumped against the window again, exhaustion wearing down on him.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Patrick stood at the head of the table staring down at his team. Pete and Joe were silent, waiting for their briefing on their new case.

“We’ve got a serial killer that just surfaced. We believe he’s linked to at least three murders so far, all of which we have no information on. No connections have been found on the victims, one was female and two were male, all from different states and their paths never seemed to cross. Pete, I’d like you to fly over and talk to the families, figure out why they’ve been targeted. Joe, I want you to go to the crime scenes and find us some leads. Any questions?”

The two shook their heads and Patrick nodded, leaving the room while the other two quickly pulled on their FBI jackets and left to go do their assignment.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are what gives me life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i havent been here. also sorry for how short this is. im hopefully going to make the next chapter a little longer. this probably only has a couple more chapters left but, either way, i promise ill finish.

The next place Tyler found that fit what he was looking for was a bridge. He’d watched it from where the trees met the grass, taking note of how many cars passed through and when. He sat outside for two days, waiting and watching.

 

It wasn’t very busy and the bridge was pretty in a weird sort of way. It had a high arch that went over a rarely used highway. 

 

Tyler needed some more rope.

 

He spent the next night up on top of the bridge, setting up his rope, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge as he tied the noose, expert fingers at work once again. He could hear the trees down below begin to whisper. It started sooner this time than the others. They were catching on.

 

They moved slowly under the bridge, leaning into each other with the wind as they passed secrets on, his secret. But there was more than just his. They always seemed to know more. He couldn’t always hear what they said. Branches pointed and laughed as he fumbled with the noose for the first time since he began his teachings.

 

“Shut up!” He screamed, glaring down at the trees. They stopped moving and things became silent. 

 

Tyler worked quicker as he hoisted the rope down low to the ground, throwing the spare down with it. 

 

This time in his car was a teenage boy. He struggled more than the adults, the fight never leaving him. He thrashed in the back seat, kicking at Josh’s seat again and again.

 

“He’s fucking sleeping,” Tyler said, agitation rising all too quickly. The boy didn’t stop, kicking harder. 

 

“I’m not asleep anymore,” Josh said with a yawn and Tyler snapped.

 

“You fucking woke him up, how could you be so insensitive?” He tried to pull over but Josh reached out and touched his arm.

 

“Don’t,” he whispered and Tyler nodded.

 

Josh was silent as he sat in the car. Tyler had parked it on the highway far enough back that Josh didn’t have to leave to be able to see the events unfold.

 

“Maybe I’m getting sick,” he said as Tyler urged him to get out, “I’m just tired, okay? I can see from here.”

 

Tyler didn’t like it but he nodded.

 

His work this time was sloppier. He struggled more to get in control of his lesson, finding it harder to get him to stand on the stool, to get him to do as Tyler asked. He wasn’t happy and this time he kicked the chair before he said anything.

 

The boy didn’t struggle. The force of his fall snapped his neck quickly, leaving him paralyzed or dead, Tyler didn’t know and he didn’t care. He walked over to the passenger window slowly, making eye contact with Josh and never breaking it. His movements were slow, dragging them out. A footstep each time the boy swayed on the rope. 

 

He came to stand at the window by Josh, resting his hands on the door as he stared, breathing quietly, relaxed and calm. Tyler reached out and rested a palm against Josh’s cheek, forcing him to look at Tyler’s face, into his eyes to see every thought he had.

 

“See, Josh? You don’t need to be a victim, you can fight back against the bullies.”

 

Josh’s eyes watered and he nodded his head. Tyler’s face lit up in a smile.

 

“Do you finally understand? Have all of my lessons helped?” Tyler asked, the smile growing. Josh nodded again.

 

“Y-yeah, they’ve helped me understand.” Tyler’s smile fell, his face empty.

 

Tyler pulled his hands back, standing there quietly, his eyes disconnecting. They were still trained on Josh but they were distant, he wasn’t seeing Josh. They changed again and he was seeing Josh.

 

“Liar,” he said, almost too quiet to hear. Josh was about to ask for Tyler to repeat before Tyler snapped, slamming his fists against the frame of the car two times.

 

“Fucking liar! You don’t see it, don’t fucking lie to me!” He slammed his fists into the frame two more times after he finished talking before he calmed again. He walked back to where the boy was and grabbed the stool, taking it with him as he went to the driver's seat. 

 

The trees were silent but they were watching, their eyes following him as he walked.

 

_ “You don’t need to do this,”  _ one tree finally said, speaking up above the rest. When Tyler looked over to the tree it had tears running down it’s leaves. 

 

“Stop lying to me,” Tyler snapped back to the tree, unsure of why he knew that it was lying. His mind screamed that the trees weren’t truthful, that they knew something he didn’t. Maybe it was the opposite, maybe he knew more. 

 

The trees didn’t understand his lesson, they tried to stop him each time. Tyler couldn’t have them doing that.

 

Tyler stepped into the car and drove away from his lesson, driving through the night until Josh complained of uncomfortable sleeping positions in the car.

  
“Please get us a room? We haven’t cuddled in a while, Tyler. I’m so cold without you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment me ur thoughts pls. or yell at me on kik @shrekkt


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied, next chapter

Pete was sitting in the living room of a Mrs. Baker's house.

 

She was in tears, still upset over the news of her now late husband. He had gone missing the week before and the family had no idea that he had been murdered.

 

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Pete said, reaching out and resting a hand on the woman's shoulder, “I know this is hard but I need you to tell me what happened the day he went missing.”

 

Pete had always been good with people. He was able to coax information out of even the most stubborn of people. The woman gave in and rested her hands against her legs. She took in a shaky breath as she tried to gather her words.

 

“We’d gone to dinner that night and we got into an argument. He yelled and stormed off.” Sobs went through the woman's body.

 

“That was the last time I ever saw him. I never even got the chance to apologize.”

 

Pete asked a few more questions before he apologized once more and left the house.

 

~~~

 

He was on the phone with Patrick, explaining his findings from the last, now four, victims families.

 

“I can’t find anything to link them,” Pete said angrily, frustrated in himself that he couldn’t see into the guy's head. He didn’t have this many problems with it usually.

 

“Pete, it’s not your fault, stop worrying,” Patrick said easily, needing his agent to calm down and focus.

 

“I’ve got a rebellious teenager who yelled at his mom, a husband who stormed off from his wife, an alcoholic mother, and a brother who supposedly hit his sister, how do those even compare?” Pete ranted, frustration growing. He felt stupid when Patrick pointed it out for him.

 

“They’re all violent,” he said easily and Pete let out a groan.

 

“You’re a fucking genius! So then we’re looking for someone with a history of abuse or issues with parents.”

  
Pete hung up and went back to studying the files.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i got randomly inspired and im actually writing. these chapters are short and i apologize x10 but here we are. im getting shit done so be proud

Tyler decided that he liked the forest better.

 

While things were harder to control and he ended up most times screaming at nothing, it always looked prettier.

 

Sure, there was always a leaf that was out of place that made him want to rip his own hair out, but the trees hanging overhead, casting shadows on the ground, the colors of nature, it was all so much better, so much more real. So that’s where he went next.

 

He laid down on the forest floor, staring at the trees above him. He was looking for a branch, a big one to support a person's weight. He was surrounded by pine trees though and most of them were too weak at the top to keep from snapping. Tyler sat up and glared at the tree in front of him.

 

“Fucking useless, I only needed you for one fucking thing,” he said, voice rising as he stood to his feet and approached the tree. The tree smiled back as the wind blew. This time, the tree spoke to him in a voice he could understand.

 

_ “I just wanted it to stop,”  _ the tree said with tears in its voice. Tyler frowned and back away from the tree, turning and running to find a different spot, one far, far away from the voices. But they followed him. He was running and sprinting but no matter which way he turned, he could always hear it.

 

_ “Stop, stop, I wanted it to stop, Tyler, why couldn’t you make it stop.” _

 

Tyler crumpled to the ground, his hands slapping over his ears. He screamed back at the voices.

 

“No, no, no, it wasn’t my fault. I swear it wasn’t.”

 

The voices stopped and he sat up again. His knees were dirty from where he’d crashed to the ground. 

 

He kept apologizing to nothing and repeating himself, telling the trees that it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t even know what ‘it’ was. All he knew was he couldn’t have done it, he couldn’t have stopped it. (Yes, he could have.)

 

~~~

 

Tyler went back to the car and drove back to the motel where he was staying with Josh. 

 

He crawled into bed with him, rolling in close and staying there. 

 

“Jesus, Josh, you’re so cold,” Tyler complained, pulling the covers up and over them. Josh gave a small hum of a reply. Tyler knew he was getting sick. He had to finish his lesson though, he had to. There was no other option.

 

~~~

 

Tyler was back out into the forest the next day but he was being cautious. He didn’t want the trees to speak to them because they were so loud. He couldn’t have anyone finding out about this. He wouldn’t be allowed to finish otherwise. 

 

The spot wasn’t perfect this time and that bothered Tyler more than anything. He felt like screaming, crying, anything. The only reason he was allowing it was because there was a very angry man in his backseat that could mean trouble if Tyler waited any longer. He couldn’t risk one of his lessons running away. That would be worse than the way the trees whispered.

 

He set everything up quickly, looking around and cringing. The ground looked dead. The grass was hardly growing in, showing mostly dirt below his feet. He didn’t like it.

 

In his head he pictured a beautiful forest with massive trees everywhere. There was grass and flowers and beautiful things. But none of that was here and it made him feel sick to his stomach.

 

He ran back to the car, bursting into tears as soon as he saw Josh. 

 

Josh’s eyes widened in surprise and he struggled to sit up, giving a shaky cough as he did.

 

“Ty, what’s wrong?” He asked, a hand reaching up to Tyler’s hair as Tyler buried his face into Josh’s shoulder.

 

“I don’t know that I can do this,” Tyler whispered. Josh didn’t want to say that the guilt in his stomach lifted. He knew it was about him and he was happy that Tyler couldn’t continue. He didn’t like watching people die for him. He never would have wished that upon anyone.

 

“Tyler, if you can’t continue that’s okay, I won’t be mad. I know what you were trying to say,” Josh soothed, hoping it was enough. Tyler stiffened at the words and pulled back. Josh realized he said something wrong and he was suddenly scared.

 

“Then what was I trying to say?” Tyler asked, his voice dead and emotionless as he stared into Josh’s eyes.

 

“You, er, not to be scared?” Josh tried and Tyler stepped back. He was shaking his head, mumbling about lessons. Josh couldn’t understand a word of it. 

 

Tyler walked around the car and pulled the struggling man out of the car. He was unwilling to follow with Tyler. Both of them fought the other all the way to the planned spot. Tyler was tired of having to drag this man and he didn’t seem the least bit phased. Tyler tripped the man, following him down to the ground and binding his feet as quickly as he could. There was no chance of escaping now and Tyler was satisfied that he wasn’t in danger of letting his lesson get away.

 

Tyler turned around and did something he normally never did. He pulled the gag away from the man's mouth. The man paused in his thrashing, staring at Tyler with a confused glance.

 

“Any last words?” Tyler asked easily. The man’s anger returned.

 

“You sick fuck! Dragging around that dea-” he was cut off by Tyler placing the gag back over his mouth. Tyler now knew why he never let his lessons talk.

 

Tyler left the man lying on the ground and returned to the car, staring at Josh. 

 

“It’s time,” Tyler said, looking up at the moon and the stars before looking back to Josh. He wasn’t sure which was more beautiful. Josh shook his head, eyes welling up with tears. 

 

“Tyler, please don’t make me watch anymore. I never meant for you to come to this. If I had known, I’d never done it,” Josh said, begging with eyes to have Tyler show forgiveness to him and the man he’d kidnapped. 

 

“Done what?” Tyler asked, confusion masking his features.

 

He knew there was a purpose for the lessons but he’d forgotten it along the way. He couldn’t remember as hard as he tried. Josh had done something and Tyler couldn’t remember what it was.

 

“I-” Josh started before he cut himself off, shaking his head again.

 

“I’m so sorry,” Josh whispered, his crying increasing as Tyler opened the door and helped him out. The walk back to Tyler’s spot was quiet besides the fact that Josh was still crying.

 

Josh’s eyes landed on the man who was still on the ground, his begging and pleading returning.

 

“I told you to be quiet,” Tyler said. The only problem was he didn’t know who he said it to. It could have been to the man lying on the ground, screaming through the gag. It could have been to Josh and they way he kept begging, saying it was a mistake and it won't happen again. It could have been to the trees who were yelling at him, saying something that he couldn’t understand yet again. It could have been to himself because he kept talking, repeating things and it was all too much. There were too many noises and he was screaming again.

 

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

 

Everything was silent.

 

Even the wind stopped blowing.

 

Tyler was quick with everything this time. He pushed Josh into a tree, letting him sit down himself. He wrestled with the guy and the noose for a while, unhappy with how his lesson was struggling.

 

The man was standing on the stool and then he was hanging. 

 

Tyler walked over to Josh, grabbing him by the hair and forcing him to look up at the man struggling to breathe. 

 

“See, Josh? You don’t need to be a victim, you can fight back against the bullies,” Tyler repeated, looking down to see Josh shaking from his sobs, eyes squeezed closed. Tyler let go of Josh’s hair and stormed off, frustrated that his help was going to waste. 

 

He came back hours later to collect his stool and Josh.

  
Neither one of them said another word to each other that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is also almost over. so i mean, thats a thing. ill most likely finish it in the next couple of hours so clear your schedule.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more guys

There was a lead on a boy in his early twenties, by the name of Tyler Joseph.

 

The team had gone to investigate his last known residence. They had stopped paying bills and no one had come quite yet to clear it out. 

 

“Pete, I’m gonna need you and Joe to go in and look around for something that could help. I’m going to interview neighbors in the meantime,” Patrick said, nodding his head when Pete showed his understanding.

 

The inside of the house was dark and musty, obvious that even when it was inhabited, they hadn’t taken good care of it. Besides being a mess, there wasn’t much that was helpful. 

 

They sifted through the rooms one by one, frowning each time they left a room and shaking their heads at each other. They were coming up short and Pete was taking it to heart.

 

He was typically good at profiling people. He knew what most were thinking based off their patterns but for the love of God, he could not figure this one out. Pete knew it was wrong to think, but he was blaming himself for the increasing deaths. He should have gotten this guy by now.

 

The last room to search was the bedroom. At least they found a clue, of sorts.

 

In the center of the room was a noose lying on the ground that had been cut down from the ceiling. Joe stopped in his tracks, staring at it for a minute before he walked over to the desk and sifted through the papers.

 

“Pete, I think I’ve got something,” he said, motioning for Pete to join him.

 

They stood over the letter, reading it quietly.

 

_ “Tyler, _

 

_ I just wanted it to stop. I’m sorry that I couldn’t have been stronger like you asked but it was too much. Every time I left the house people were staring at me and insulting me. I don’t know what else to do to make it stop. I just want it to stop. _

 

_ You don’t need to do this, either. I know you’re going to. I don’t want you to confront them and try and fix this. You can’t. It’s my fault and I need you to let it go. They’re not good people and not worth your time. _

 

_ But you could always come with me, Ty. There wouldn’t be any pain when we see each other again in Heaven. It would just be us, happy and together forever. _

 

_ We can end this now, Tyler. _

 

_ -Josh,” _

 

Pete pulled his phone out and dialed Patricks number.

 

“Sorry for interrupting, I think I know why he’s targeting those people. It seems his ex-lover committed suicide over a bullying situation, seems to think that Tyler would be the type for revenge. The previous victims had a history of violent natures, he might see that in public and feel the need to take his own frustrations out on them.”

 

_ “Where is he usually taking his victims from?” _ Patrick asked.

 

“There’s been two parks that seem to be picked from most.” 

 

Pete walked through the bedroom, coming across and photo left on the nightstand.

 

“We’re either looking for a male with short brown hair or longer curly, red hair. And when I say red I mean, really red,” Pete explained, trying to memorize the faces before setting the phone down.

  
They hung up the phone and agreed to meet back at the van.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like this story didn't turn out as good or even how i had wanted it to when i first started and i apologize for that. seems like im missing the mark each time im writing lately but ya know its whatever. just one last apology. im hoping that when i get home that'll get better bc im stuck in hell right now and it sucks any sort of happiness or creativity out of you so ya know


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp kids this is it

A little boy was running towards the swings with his sister. She beat him by enough that she hopped on and tried to get the swing going. She didn’t get very high before her brother caught up with her and pushed her off. Tyler watched as the girl fell and smacked her head on the barkchips. His fists clenched, anger bubbling in his chest. The boy had to have been about seven, old enough to know better. 

 

Tyler stood up from his spot on the bench, walking towards where the boy was backing away from his sister. Parents swarmed the little girl, causing a commotion because there was just a little bit of blood on the girl. Tyler grabbed the boy and held a hand over his mouth, taking him quickly to where his car was parked, Josh waiting with a sad expression on his face.

 

“Tyler, no more,” he whispered, eyes frightened at how young the new lesson was.

 

~~~

 

Tyler never saw the team of FBI agents in civilian clothes, watching him conspicuously. 

 

“He grabbed the boy,” Pete said quietly, knowing the microphone picked it up. 

 

They all left their spots and packed into their van, following Tyler’s car. 

 

It was a different patch of forest every time, he seemed smart enough to know that much. They kept a good distance between them, not wanting it to get suspicious.

 

“We can’t stall too long,” Patrick pointed out, loading up his gun as he spoke, “There’s a child’s life at stake and I’m not willing to let him suffer for the sake of any investigation. Do whatever you guys need to do to save this kid.”

 

They all nodded their heads, taking a deep breath before they started walking down the barely-there path that they saw Tyler disappear into.

 

“Be ready,” Patrick said quietly to his team, all of them walking carefully to avoid any noises that would give them away. 

 

The first thing they noticed as they got closer was the smell. They paused and turned to look at Pete. Andy spoke up first.

 

“Did you miss something?” He asked quietly, trying to peer through the trees to see if there was anything he could make out. It wasn’t any use. Pete only shrugged, mouth opening and closing a couple times.

 

“I don’t know. He’s not the type to, what if he did?” He never quite finished his train of thought but the others seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. They swallowed down the last of their fear and continued on, keeping low in the cover.

 

They were almost to the clearing when they saw the boy’s head slip through the noose, a low voice talking the whole time. They all raised their guns and ran forward, emerging from the trees. 

 

“Tyler,” Pete said lowly, getting his attention. Tyler’s eyes were wide and fearful as he looked at the four guns pointed at him.

 

“I’m gonna need you to step away now,” Pete said, knowing right then that Tyler wasn’t quite hearing the words.

 

“I knew it, Josh, I knew it. The trees were too loud and they told on me. They found me, Josh, I just needed to finish my lessons,” he said frantically, hands reaching up to pull at his hair. One member of the team nudged Pete and he took a step forward. 

 

“Tyler, I need you to listen carefully. Josh died,” he said, eyes shifting from Tyler to where the decomposing body lay propped up against a tree. He knew where the smell came from and was horrified with it. 

 

It was obvious that Tyler wasn’t in good mental health. He was struggling with something, maybe somewhere in the line of accepting that Josh died he got stuck. His first impulse was to throw up but he held himself together, only long enough to get through to Tyler.

 

“Josh didn’t die, he wouldn’t,” Tyler said, voice rising in agitation. He wouldn’t glance over to where Josh’s body was. Pete was guessing that it would make the situation too real. Police officers with guns trying to break his delusion might send him over the edge. 

 

“Tyler, I need you to focus,” Pete said quietly, eyes drifting to the boy, his  face was a mess of snot and tears. 

 

“Josh hung himself, I need you to let go and stop this, it’s not your job to teach anyone,” Pete tried but it seemed to be the wrong thing.

 

Tyler turned to the boy, his face screwing up in pain. Then he started screaming.

 

“How could you fucking do this? Josh, you fucking promised me we would get through everything together. You fucking coward, I can’t believe you,” Tyler starts, lifting his foot. Anger was rolling off him in waves and it was one last kill, one last lesson. This time it was Josh’s turn to learn.

 

A blast went off and Tyler froze, his eyes going blank as his knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground. He slumps over face first, blood bubbling through the hole in his temple. 

 

The team all turns to where Joe is standing with his gun raised, finger still on the trigger. He lowers it slowly, a sense of dread washing over him, washing over the whole team. 

 

Patrick runs forward and took the boy in his arms, untying the rope from around his neck. The boy sobbed into his neck, clinging as tight as he could. They walk quietly with the boy back to their van, ready to close the case and return back to their office. Even though they stopped everything, they solved it, there’s still a sense of melancholy that settled over everyone. They knew they’d done good, they would be praised by people for the months to come but they still weren’t happy.

 

They didn’t want things to have to end this way.

 

Pete of all people, was taking it the hardest. He was the one to break the silence.

 

“I’m so sorry, I should have seen this sooner. I should have paid attention. I could have saved so many more people. I was slacking and I’m so sorry,” he would have continued but they shot him a look to shut him up.

 

“This isn’t your fault,” Andy said, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about how long this took to finish. takes a lot of anxiety off though lmao, i finally finished this shitshow


End file.
